Hopper car



P 1931- w. F. KIESEL, JR 1,825,234

HOPPER CAR Filed Sept. 25, 1930 5 Sheets-Shet 2 WITNESSE l0 9 0 o s s 6s o o INVENTOR:

A TORNEYS.

Sept. 29, 1931. w. F. KIESEL, JR

HOPPER CAR Filed Septv 25, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG H Patented Sept.29, 1931 WILLIAM F. KIESEL, 33., OF HOLLIDAYSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA HOPPERCAR Application filed September 25, 1930. Serial No. 484,256.

This invention relates to hopper cars and more particularly to the sideand end construction of such cars and the manner in which the car bodyand slope floors at the ends thereof are supported upon the underframe.1

One object of the invention is to provide a transverse body bolsterinclined from the vertical to bring the force acting on the 19 bolstermore nearly to the center line thereof when the car is under impact andthe bolster must resist combined Vertical and impact load.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bolster casting and sidestake in an integral piece so as to obtain a strong connection betweenthese members whereby outward bending forces on the side stakes arebetter resisted.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means forsupporting the slope floor of a hopper car, said means comprising aninclined body bolster in conjunction with a longitudinal triangularcasting supported on the car center sill and filling the interspacebetween said slope floor, body bolster and center sill.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of sidetruss termi- 0 nating in jacking castings at the slope floors of the carbody in lieu of the usual side sills common to hopper cars.

Still other important objects and advantages characterizing theinvention will be i evident from the detailed description, which followshereinafter, of one embodiment or example of the invention, havingreference to the accompanying drawings, whereof:

Fig. I represents a side elevation of one end of a hopper car with aportion broken away at the end of the body bolster.

Fig. II represents a longitudinal crosssection of the same, taken alongthe center line of the car.

Fig. III represents a transverse section of the same, taken as indicatedby the lines IIIIII of Fig. I, and showing the transverse body bolsterin detail.

Fig. IV represents an enlarged perspecof the car.

tive view of a triangular casting disposed beneath the slope floor.

Fig. V represents a perspective view of the jacking casting; and, Fig.VI represents a cross-sectional view of the bottom chord of a side trusstaken as indicated by the lines VIVI of Fig. I. With particularreference to Fig. I, it will be seen that the hopper car is similar ingeneral'outline to cars now in use. Only one end of the car is shown,the other end being substantially identical. The side walls 1 aresupported at intervals of their length by stakes 2 and are preferablyformed with their upper portions 3 inclined inwardly and upwardly towardthe center The stakes 2 are provided with extensions 4 on the outside ofthe side walls, which extensions terminate at the top rails 5. The torails are shown in the form of Z-bars witll their down-turned flanges 6riveted to the side walls 1. At their bottom edges the side walls 1 areturned inward at 7, as shown in Fig. III, and are riveted to side trussbottom chords 8 in the form of relatively thick plates disposed at anangle of approximately 45 with the side walls 1. The hoppers compriseside sheets 9, with their upper portions inclined outward and upward andriveted to the bottom chords 8 and abutting the lower edges of the sidewalls 1, slope sheets 10 riveted to "the side sheets 9, and hinged doors11 fitted with conventional locking devices 12. The slope sheets 10 ofthe end hoppers form a continuation of the slope floors 13 which extendfrom the end walls 14 down to the center sill 15. At the ends of the carthe side walls 1 converge slightly at 16 toward the corner posts 17.

The corner construction of the car is similar to that described indetail in m copending application Serial N 0. 484,257, filed September25, 1930. At the top rail 5, top corner castings 18 are provided, withtheir upper flat faces in some instances accommodating a grab iron 19which forms the top rung of a side ladder 20. The top corner castings 18are anchored to the upper ends of corner posts 17. At the lower end ofeach corner post there is a bottom corner casting 21 which is formed at22 to serve as a push-pole pocket. The bottom corner castings 21 aresecured to the ends of end sills 23 and are braced in a horizontal planefrom the center sill 15 by means of diagonal braces 24, there being noextension from the side trusses of the hopper to the bottom cornercastings 21. On one side of the car the bottom corner casting forms thelower terminus of the side ladder 20; A suitable form of side step 25may also be conveniently suspended from each bottom corner casting.

Immediately above the center plate 26, which forms the point of supportfor'a car truck, a transverse body bolster 27, shown in some detail inFig. III, is provided. The body bolster is preferably made up of twoseparate wing castings joined together beneath the center sill 15 by thecenter plate 26 and above the center sill 15 by a plate 44. Each bolster27 is securely riveted to the center sill and center plate at its lowerflanges 29. The two bolster castings tied together above and below thecenter sill form a truss with a diaphragm bounded by diagonal members30, diverging toward the car sides, and intermediate members 31, formingstiffening webs whereby a rigid structure is produced from end to end.An important feature of the invention is the inclination at which thebody bolster is mounted on the center sill 15, the plane of thediaphragm of the bolster 27 being inclined from the bottomof the center5111 so that it forms substantially a ri ht angle with the slope floor13, to which t e flanges 32 are riveted. Accordingly, end and verticalforces are more fully counteracted by the bolster than would be the caseif the b fister were perpendicular to the center s1 7 At the ends of thebolster 27, side stakes 28 are formed integrally with'the respectivewing castings of which the bolster is made, and the side stakes 28 aresimilarly inclined with respect to the center sill. By combiningopposite stakes with the bolster castings there is provided a rigidconnection more force on the stakes. Where the slope floor 13 passes theupturned stake arms 28, the arms are flattened and widened, asdesignated at 42, and are secured, each to a side wall land to anupturned flange 43 of the slope sheet 13. i

Filling the triangular interspace between the center sill 15, bolster 27and slope floor 13, there are a pair of parallel castings 33, shown inperspective in Fig. IV. The castings 33 are centrally hollowed andprovided with flanges 34 following the contour of the slope floor. Theflanges 34 of the triangular castings, as well as flanges 32 of the bodybolster are riveted to the slope floor capable of sustaining the-outwardbending 13, and they effect a tight seal preventing, for example, waterimpregnated with sulphur from passing through the floor. Oppositelyturned flanges 35 on the triangular castings 33 are riveted to thecenter sill 15.

It will be apparent from the drawings that in lieu of the usual sidesills extending to the bottom corners of the car, side trusses withbottom chords 8 terminating at the slope floors 13 have been utilized.At the junctures of the slope floors and bottom chords 8, specialcastings or brackets 36, preferably made of cast metal, are provided,the same being shown in perspective in Fig. V. Each casting 36 is ofangular construction and is formed at 37 with a foot or jacking pad. Onthe inside of the casting 36 there is an inclined face 38 whichaccommodates the end of .a plate 8. By utilizing a bottom chord 8 in theform of a plate, no forging or deformation is required at the jackingcasting 36. Furthermore, the angle at which the plates 8 are inclined tothe side walls 1 gives each plate as much transverse modulus as anglesor other forms heretofore used as bottom chords for the car body. Theangular extensions 39 of the jacking castings 36 are riveted at flanges41 to the side walls 1. Furthermore, it will be noted that the bottomflanges 40 of the extensions 95 39 of the jacking castings 36 abutagainst the ends of the transverse body bolsters and are riveted to theends of the bolster flanges 32; The vertical flanges 41 of the jackingcastings are riveted to flanges 42 of stake 1o. arms 28. Accordingly,the bottom chords 8 are in effect supported upon the body bolstem andthe necessity of carrying "the bottom chords 8 beyond the slope sheets13 to the end sills 23 is eliminated. By using a plate for a bottomchord, inclined in the manner shown, in lieu of other forms of sidesills, the car body construction can be kept cleaner both on the insideand outside, there being no cavities or projections for the accumulationof coal, dirt, water or other matter likely to accelerate corrosion ordeterioration of the parts of the car body.

In Fig. VI'there is shown a cross-section of a bottom chord 8 at thecenter of a hop- 7,115 per, illustrating how the side walls 1 join theside sheets 9 of a hopper on the inside of the bottom chord. It will benoted the bottom edges of the side walls 1 abut against the top edges ofside sheets 9 in such manv1 o ner that there is no overlap or angularcavity for the accumulation of water, dirt or the li e, and a smoothsloping surface is provided.

While I have described in some-detail one L embodiment or example of myinvention as applied to a hopper car, it will be apparent, especially tothose skilled in the art, that various changes may be made in the formof the car construction herein disclosedwith- 1. In a freight car endconstruction, a

slope floor, and a transverse body bolster in a plane at substantiallyright angles to said slope floor.

2. In a freight car end construction, a slope floor, a transverse bodybolster at substantially right angles to said slope .floor,

and side stakes formed integrally with said body bolster.

3. In a freight car end construction, a center sill, a slope floorforming an acute angle with said center sill, and a transverse bodybolster tied to said center sill and inclined thereto to brace saidslope floor at substantially right angles.

4. In a freight car end construction, a center sill, a slope floorforming an acute angle with said center sill, a transverse body bolsteron said center sill and inclined toward the center of the car, and atriangular casting occupying the space bounded by said center sill,slope floor and body bolster.

5. In a freight car end construction, a center sill, a slope floorforming an acute angle with said center sill, a transverse body bolsteron said center sill and inclined toward the center of the car, and atriangular casting occupying the space bounded by said center sill,slope floor and body bolster, said body bolster and triangular castinghaving supporting flanges for the slope floor following the contourthereof.

6. In a freight car end construction, a center sill, a slo e floorinclined downward from the end o the car toward the center and a bodybolster at substantially right angles to said slope floor, said bodybolster comprising twdcastings tied together above and below said centersill.

7. In a freight car construction, an end slope floor, a longitudinalside truss including a bottom chord, and a bracket forming the terminusof said side bottom chord'and having an angular extension parallelingsaid slope floor and secured to the edges thereof.

8. Ina freight car construction, an end slope floor, a longitudinal sidetruss including a bottom chord, and a bracket forming the terminus ofsaid side bottom chord. and having an angular extension paralleling saidslope floor and secured to the edges thereof, said bracket being formedto serve as a jacking pad.

. 9. In a freight car construction, an end slope floor, a side trussincluding a flat plate inclined inwardly from the car sides, and abracket forming the terminus of said flat plate, said bracket having aninclined seat adapted to accommodate the said fiat plate,

and an angular extension paralleling the slope floor and secured to theedges thereof. 10. In a freight car construction, an end slope floor, aside truss including a flat plate inclined inwardly from the car sides,and a bracket forming the terminus of said flat plate, said brackethaving an inclined seat adapted to accommodate the said fiat plate, anangular extension paralleling the slope floor and secured to the edgesthereof,

and said bracket being formed to serve as a jacking pad.

11. In a freight car, end slope floors, I

body bolsters beneath said slope floors, and trusses extending along thesides of the car between said body bolsters, said side trusses havingbottom chords terminating in a bracket secured to the ends of said bodybolsters.

12. In a freight car, end slope floors, body bolsters beneath said slopefloors, and side trusses including bottom chords extending along thesides of the car between said body bolsters, said bottom chordsterminating in a bracket secured to the ends of said body bolsters, andsaid bracket being formed to serve as a jacking pad.

13. In a hopper car, side walls turned inwardly at their lower edgestoward the hoppers, hopper side sheets turned outwardly at their upperedges to substantially abut said side walls, and a flat plate secured tothe turned edges of said side walls and hopper side sheets and formingthe bottom chord of a side truss for the car body.

14. In a hopper car, end slope floors, side walls turned inwardly attheir lower edges toward the hoppers, hopper side sheets turnedoutwardly at their upper edges to abut said side walls, and a flat platesecured to the turned edges of said side walls and hopper side sheetsforming the bottom chord of a longitudinal truss extending from oneslope floor to the other.

15. In a hopper car, end slope floors, side walls turned inwardly attheir lower edges toward the hoppers, hopper side sheets turnedoutwardly at their upper edges to abut said side walls, and a flat platesecured to the turned edges of said side walls and hopper side sheetsforming the bottom chord of a longitudinal truss extending from oneslope floor to the other, said flat plate sloping inwardly anddownwardly toward the hoppers.

body supported thereon including hoppers and end slope floors leadingthereto, transverse body bolsters near the ends of said center sill anddisposed beneath said center sills and side trusses for the car bodyconfined between said bolsters, said side trusses comprising bottomchords terminating in angular brackets at said slope 'floors, and saidangular brackets being tied to the ends of said bolsters.

18. In a freight car,a center sill, a car body supported thereonincluding hoppers, and end slope floors leading thereto, transverse bodybolsters near the ends of said center sill inclined towards each otherto form substantially right angles with said slope floors, and sidetrusses for the car body having their bottom chords confined betweensaid bolsters, said bottom chords terminating in angular brackets tiedto the ends of said bolsters.

19. In a freight car end construction, a center sill, a slope floorforming an acute angle with said center sill, and a body bolster havinga diaphragm extending from the bottom of said center sill to said slopefloor in a plane substantially at right angles to said slope floor.

20. In a freight car end construction, a center sill, a slope floorforming an acute angle with said center sill, and a body bolster havinga diaphragm extending fromthe bottom of said center sill to said slopefloor in a plane substantially at right angles to said slope floor, saidbody bolster comprising wing members tied together above and -below saidcenter sill and having side stakes formed integral therewith.

In testimony whereof, I have hereuntosigned my name at Altoona,Pennsylvania, this 22nd day of September, 1930.

- WILLIAM- F. KIESEL, .JR.

